This is a good idea and more people should champion it. You don't stop being a citizen because you're incarcerated. In fact, we should be making every effort to ensure people in prison know that they will always be part of society. - ThreadSky

judet.bsky.social • 1 day ago

This is a good idea and more people should champion it. You don't stop being a citizen because you're incarcerated. In fact, we should be making every effort to ensure people in prison know that they will always be part of society.

Reposted from Taniel

Back in 2020, Zohran Mamdani responded to a post of mine on a bill that’d have entirely repealed felony disenfranchisement, including allow people to vote from prison, by endorsing the idea: “the right to vote is inalienable.”

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yellowstoneten.bsky.social•1 day ago

also, like - if your concern is that incarcerated people have demonstrated anti-social behavior and are therefore more likely to vote for bad candidates or policies... if there's enough of them to significantly influence the result, your society has bigger problems

judet.bsky.social•1 day ago

DING DING DING DING

reptavner.bsky.social•1 day ago

If the people against this are worried that criminals are going to vote for a crime president, well,

judet.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yes, some people are utter sociopaths who need to be removed from the rest of us permanently. But for people who have a day? They need to know that they're welcome back with all of us if they get their shit together.

carriehelen13.bsky.social•1 day ago

I always thought jail was about rehabilitation. Doing regular, normal things like voting seem like they would do a lot for someone's self esteem and can help them resist the chances to reoffend.

judet.bsky.social•1 day ago

In a sane and just world, it is about rehabilitation. But we here in the USA just LOOOOOOOOOOOVE to be all about punishment.

carriehelen13.bsky.social•1 day ago

Especially here in Louisiana. They use jail labor for EVERYTHING

judet.bsky.social•1 day ago

Angola is a fucking crime against humanity.

carriehelen13.bsky.social•1 day ago

Absolutely

silkscreenfiend.bsky.social•1 day ago

Agreed. Also reinforces the notion that, in a democracy, caring about and then participating in the direction of society is a responsibility as much as it is a right.

antimaatheist.bsky.social•1 day ago

People in prison are probably limited to accurate news from FOX Snooze and the 1% owned MSM. So what are they basing their votes on? Propaganda? I think that once they are no longer in prison they should have their voting rights returned. But not while they are in. IMO.

judet.bsky.social•1 day ago

Well you can just fuck right off IMO.

antimaatheist.bsky.social•1 day ago

Fair enough. But losing some privileges after committing a crime isn't unusual. Felons can't own or possess a firearm for example. Voting rights should be restored after their release.

joekalicki.bsky.social•1 day ago

If they're citizens who are subject to the laws of the country then they should have a say in those laws even if they're currently being punished by them. Their meager pittance is still taxed so they still deserve to have say in their representation.

voland66.bsky.social•1 day ago

My main and probably only concern would be: how do you ensure that the incarcerated vote freely without coercion, blackmail or bribes from the guards, wardens etc. If that is possible, than they should have a vote.

urusobu.bsky.social•1 day ago

The failure I see talked about most is thslat they don't know they have a right to vote and the jail or jailers do not inform them or make it possible. As far as blackmail, that is why we have a secret ballot snd I think incarcerated folks are the most likely to vote contrary to what they are told.

voland66.bsky.social•1 day ago

The secret ballot is only secret when the secrecy is enforced. This is possible to do even in prisons but it's not trivial.
The other important issue: inmates may not trust secrecy even if the ballot is indeed secret.

urusobu.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yes, very valid, but a matter of implementation not of the question of if they should have the right.

voland66.bsky.social•1 day ago

We agree - they should have the right to vote. We just need to understand that it is not a simple matter of legislating that right, it requires hard work to implement it.

urusobu.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yes, but many already do and are unaware.

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